Last week’s looting and violence, which rocked KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, could cause a spike in post-traumatic stress disorder cases among children and adolescents (Photo by MARCO LONGARI / AFP)
Last week’s looting and violence, which rocked KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, could cause a spike in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) cases among children and adolescents, the South African Society of Psychiatrists (Sasop) has warned parents.
Children are susceptible to fear and anxiety and could feel overwhelmed by watching current news events on television and social media, in addition to hearing about it in adults’ conversations, said Anusha Lachman, a child psychiatrist and board member at Sasop.
She cautioned parents against talking about their own anxieties and fears in front of their children, because this could increase their trauma. Parents should rather take care of their own mental wellbeing by seeking professional help, and act as role models for their children by indicating to them that it was okay to seek professional help.
According to Lachman, PTSD is triggered during a traumatic event and can manifest directly after the event, during another traumatic event or even months after the initial event. It can also cause long-term depression and anxiety.
She says parents are meant to buffer children and adolescents by filtering news, media and conversation and supporting children to prevent further trauma.
The symptoms of PTSD vary in type and intensity, including nightmares, flashbacks, poor sleeping habits, disturbing memories and anxiety-related behaviours.
Anxiety-related behaviour includes the child being more clingy, jittery, nervous or alert. They could also show signs of irritability, trouble focusing, fear for their safety or fear of death, issues with showing or accepting affection, aggression, self-isolation and avoiding situations that could be triggers.
A less common set of symptoms is age-regression, which can include behaviours such as thumb-sucking, bed-wetting, baby-like behaviour and complaints about stomach pain or headaches.
Lachman said signs of depression, self-harm and anxiety, should be taken seriously, and professional help sought immediately.
Other ways parents can help include acknowledging that the events are happening and the emotional effect of the events, as well as acknowledging that they are not normal occurrences.
Parents should communicate optimism and focus on positives such as the solutions being implemented and the fact that they are there as a support system for their children, while acknowledging that everyone is scared and what they’re feeling is normal in this situation. Parents can also offer support through counselling, therapy or contacting the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag).
Another way to help is by keeping a routine, and scheduling activities that are constructive, relaxing and fun to help distract children from the traumatic events, Lachman says. Parents should also encourage their children to openly express their feelings, whether by talking, writing, drawing or through any other medium.
Parents should also encourage social connections with friends and family. They can help children feel less helpless by allowing them to post thoughtful messages on social media, by letting them help collect food, toys, clothes, games and stationary to donate to those affected by the violence, and taking them to help with cleanup initiatives in areas affected. This helps foster a sense of purpose, and like the issue, has an end and can be fixed.
Sadag’s Kayla Phillips said the group had not yet picked up an influx of trauma-related calls, but parents could call its helplines if concerned about their families or visit the organisation’s website.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, which is used by psychologists and psychiatrists as a guideline when diagnosing mental illness, has a chapter on the diagnostic criteria for PTSD that parents can refer to before seeking help from a doctor or psychiatrist to get a diagnosis.
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